The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-08-04
PINE WOODS OF GEORGIA.
Old Habits OF Southern Hospitality-The
Small Economics of Poverty


In an hour they were in the pine woods.
At long intervals there were openings in
which was o wide, low, many galleried
house, with its appendage Of dilapidated
negro quarters and neglected farm lands
"a gray, hoary wreck of prosperous days.
The snow, which still lay in drifts in the
woods, had melted here from the saffron
stubble fields. The houses usually ap-
peared to be over full; ell of the windows
shone redly in the closing dusk; the
rooms were alive with children, with gay
young people; matronS with delicate,
fastidious faces bent over their work;
portly, handsomely dressed men loitered
in the galleries or rode down the long
avenues.
s'You would find the old habits of hos
pitality kept up in these houses" said
Lola. Family connections are large in
the south. A Georgian of the higher
class has cousins ell through the Caro-
lnas and the gulf states, just as the Vir-
ginians and Kentuckians are really all of
one blood. From FIVE to ten guests may
drop in unlimited for any meal or come to
stay week. They are always sure Of a
welcome. The old class of southerners
would rather give up their chance of
heaven than the pleasure of keeping open
house for their friends on earth"
Mr. Ely's face flushed. sit is a gra-
cicus, beautiful customg' he exclaimed.
awe lost much that was M0 I'll keeping
with the old feudal systems
"Yes," said Miss Pogue dryly; 'fI have
known dinner prepared. in our hous> for
four persons, and before it was served
twenty guests arrived unexpectedly. So
it goes ON all the year round"
''That is delightful hesitated Mrs.
Ely. sit takes one quite back to patri-
arcbal Life. But it would not suit north
ern housekeepers nor northern cooks and
chambermaids.
s'It does not suit here" said Lola,
promptly. 'Our mothers were used to it
when they had plenty OF money and OF
servants. But now that we have not
enough of either, the custom keeps many
a family poor, and makes BE treadmill
for most women. The generation belong
to, Mrs. Ety." she said, after o pause, her
thin, decisive features heating, shave
learned to practice small economies in
poverty, and they ere forced to sec that
there is great leakage in their incomes
through these old customs which seem to
you SO beautiful and grand. Yet" she
added, with sudden pride, 'T doubt if
the southerner will ever give up that
CUSTOM
I'lv. talking matters over that
night as usual, declared tuay s't-e Geor-
gian girl talked and thought precisely
like New Englander. And, as far as
can see, she is not an uncommon type now
in this new south. I have met women,
since we came here, capable, shrewd and
alive with energy. They manage planta-
lions and shops; they rciGa stock, hold Of
fees, publish newspapers. Indeed, while
northern women have been clamoring for
their rights, southern women have found
their way into more careers than they.
They keep up with oil the questions of the
day. Miss Lola actually gave re some
new hints On drainage / suppose we
Americans have but ono blood, after eli,
and o hard struggle with poverty viii pro-
duce the same woman in Georgia as in
Connecticut. "-Rebecca Harding Davis in
Harper's Magazine.